XXIX OLYMPIC GAMES

August 11, 2008

Venus Williams

BEIJING, CHINA

V. WILLIAMS/T. Bacsinszky
6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Serena was saying earlier everywhere she's gone she's been mobbed for
autographs. Have you had similar experiences since you've come to Beijing?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, everyone's been excited. So that's a good thing.
Everybody's excited about the Olympics, and I'm part of the Olympics, so I
feel like I'm part of the whole movement.

Q. Before you came here, what athletes were you excited to meet or what
events did you think you wanted to go to? Have you had time to do any of that
yet?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I had no illusions. I'll be here all day every day
hopefully, playing the singles and the doubles. I don't think I'll get to see
anything or meet anyone.
It will be a privilege, though, to be playing later into the rounds.

Q. How did you feel about the match today?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I feel really good about the match. That was my first match
since the Wimbledon doubles final. I was really pleased. Not a lot of
unforced errors. No service breaks for me.
I thought she played really tough, served really well. She missed a couple of
shots that helped me. But in general I thought it was a well-contested match,
and I think I did the right things to come out on top.

Q. I understand that you have won the championship for both singles and
doubles of the Sydney Olympic Games. You also won the championship for the
singles in Wimbledon. In Beijing this time you'll be playing both singles and
doubles. What is your expectation for the Games here and how do you
distribute your energy for the coming American matches?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, obviously, I mean, the first part is being part of the
Olympic spirit, which is the first thing, competing in the games. That's what
it's about: competing and peaceful relations.
Second, of course I would love to have gold in both events. I have to work
hard to deserve it. I'm willing to do that and make those sacrifices.
As far as energy for both matches, or both events, I mean, I know it's going
to take a lot of energy. But fortunately I have a really good partner, name's
Serena Williams, and she's going to do more than half the work, so that's
going to help me a lot.

Q. How long did it take you to come down from the high of winning Wimbledon
and then to start thinking about the Olympics?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, immediately because I had to play doubles. I really,
really wanted to win that, so I got really focused. Of course, after that was
great.
For me, I think that title meant a lot. I think that I'll always carry that
title with me on the court, just the whole whatever it took to win, I'll take
that with me every time. So it meant a lot to me.

Q. I would like you to give us a brief introduction of your feelings after
you arrived in Beijing in terms of the preparation and the value, the venue
for the tennis matches. We actually have several million listeners. I would
wonder if you would like to say a few words to our audience.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'd like to say hello. I'm very happy to be in Beijing. Of
course, I was waiting for this moment since Athens. I hope that they get to
see the tennis that I'm playing, along with the other competitors, on TV or
in person.

Q. I know you have an interest in fashion design and you also have a
professional certificate in this field. I wonder if you have any new works
and whether your trip to Beijing this time, particularly the Chinese elements
in the opening ceremonies, has given you any enlightenment?
VENUS WILLIAMS: The question was, was I inspired by Chinese design?

Q. Yes.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes, of course, I love Chinese design. I love the different
motifs and the different patterns. I think also it's inspirational, the
different design periods, I mean, so many thousands of years of history, I
think. You can find so much inspiration in those thousands of years. So, of
course, it's very inspirational for me.
A lot of times I'll buy books when I go to different countries, and it just
shows different designs and different patterns. Of course, I have one from
here, too.